2014 Media Releases

Date:

June 27, 2014

For More Information Contact:

Adam Rhoads, Health Department, 402-441-8035

Public Asked to Clean Up Fireworks Debris

Keep Lincoln and Lancaster County Beautiful (KLLCB) asks residents to properly dispose of fireworks debris following private and public Independence Day celebrations. Officials recommend allowing used fireworks to sit for several minutes and using water to make sure they are completely extinguished. A metal bucket or a bucket with sand or water can be used as a temporary trash can. Cooled fireworks can be placed in regular trash for disposal.

"If you blow it up, clean it up," said KLLCB Coordinator, Adam Rhoads. "Preventing litter is essential to a clean, healthy and safe community." Rhoads said litter tends to accumulate in places that are already littered, and that can cause increased crime and decreased property values. Litter that is washed down storm drains eventually flows into streams, rivers and lakes, and the potentially harmful substances in fireworks can pollute the water, soil and air. KLLCB is a program of the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department. The fireworks debris prevention effort is funded in part by the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality.